The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma is a mix of lightly roasted malts with just a little bit of cocoa, as well as a little bit of oak and some spice. For a beer that has more than 8 percent alcohol you can't really detect any in the aroma.

The flavor is where the tequila aging becomes more evident. I get quite a bit of earthiness and oak in the flavor, as well as some of the lightly toasted/roasted malt from the aroma. There is a little bit of spice in the flavor, possibly from the barrel aging. The chocolate from the aroma was not really present in the flavor. The alcohol is well hidden.

I was intrigued by the big black lager aspect, but moreso, the tequila oak-aged aspect. The aroma is definitely its most impressive aspect. For a lager, I'd like crisper and more highly carbonated. Given the tequila oak-aging, I'd prefer something more robust and chocolately or earthy. That being said, it's an ambitious beer that's worth ordering.

This Schwarzbier has been "imperialized" (alcohol content increased) and then left to age in tequila barrels (used Jack Daniels barrels which are then used by Republic Tequila to age there tequila to Repasado or Anejo styles). Aging this unique beer in tequila barrels adds subtle flavors of vanilla and oak while the tequila adds a mild citrus/agave sweetness. At 8.2% alcohol by volume Senor Viejo is our strongest, most seasoned beer.

About the name:Senor Viejo meaning “very old man” or “the old one” or "Veteran". Schwarzbier, or "black beer", is a German dark lager beer. It has an opaque, black color and a full, chocolaty or coffee flavor. Although they share some similar flavors they are milder tasting and less bitter than British stouts or porters, owing to the use of Mexican lager rather than ale yeast and no roasted barley.